Downspout Thieves Arrested in Washington, DC

Andy Solberg, Commander of the 2nd District Metropolitan Police Department, reported yesterday that two people suspected of stealing copper downspouts in the Chevy Chase neighborhood have been arrested.

Commander Solberg wrote on the Second District's email list, "I am happy to report that we have made two arrests in regard to the white car that we believe was involved in the theft of copper downspouts in the Chevy Chase area. Around 1 pm, the auto theft unit stopped a white Buick Regal, on South Dakota Avenue, NE, and evidence was recovered that leads us to believe the two men, in addition to being in a stolen car, were involved in the thefts."

The price of copper has increased recently to about $4 a pound. Any copper that can be moved is at risk of being stolen, including fence parts, downspouts, and construction material. Electric utilities often have a problem with people stealing copper wire, too.

One witness to a downspout theft, described the theft this way on the Chevy Chase email list: "About 9:45 AM today, I heard a clanging noise, looked out the window, and saw a man folding my neighbor's copper downspout. I opened my front door and called out to question him about what he was doing. He ignored me and tossed the downspout into the back of a dark blue 4X4 pick-up truck. I shouted at him to stop and a woman in the front passenger seat called out, 'It's OK, we are going to install new ones!' And they drove off, as it turns out, with both downspouts.'" The neighbor had not authorized the installation of new downspouts.

Over the course of a two week period between the middle and end of April at least eight reports were made to the police about stolen downspouts in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, DC.